This piece provides an interesting and essential perspective on the immigration issue right now. Instead of joining the endless parade of stories discussing immigrants coming to the US, the narrator puts his own spin on things by discussing emigration from his community, and he does so very effectively.
The piece is structured so as to draw parallels between immigrants leaving other countries and people leaving Appalachian communities, and apparently many of the same motives lie behind each: little work, poor economy, dangerous jobs. The narrator also does a great job examining the conflicting forces behind the decision to stay or go. But what impressed me most was that even such a small editorial could have an effective story arc: the listener is first introduced to the conflict, the scene is set and discussed, and finally we hear the narrator make a choice...
This story is truly a breath of fresh air, and would be an almost necessary addition to any show about immigration and the surrounding issues.